Kansas City, Kan.-Reser’s Fine Foods Inc. of Beaverton, Ore., which operates a Topeka food processing plant, has agreed to pay a $13,460 civil penalty and to purchase $22,679 in emergency response equipment for the Topeka Fire Department for failing to make timely notifications to local, state, and federal emergency response authorities about an accidental leak of anhydrous ammonia at the plant in December 2007. The 1,500-pound release at the Topeka facility caused more than 100 employees to evacuate and sent a firefighter to the hospital for treatment of skin irritation. According to EPA, Reser’s contacted the National Response Center 50 minutes after the release and the local emergency planning committee after 25 hours and 10 minutes, and never contacted the state emergency response commission.
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